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Study finds nine car models that could save your life

Chris Woodyard
USA TODAY
The Honda Odyssey was one of the models with a zero death rate.

Correction: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect Kia photo in the gallery

Nine car models are so safe they had a driver death rate of zero in a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The nine mostly 2011 models underscore how chances of dying in a car crash have fallen by a third in three years. Eight years ago, no car brand could make that claim, IIHS spokesman Russ Rader says. He points to improvements in car safety such as electronic stability control as making a huge improvement in preventing cars from crashing.

"We know from our vehicle ratings program that crash-test performance has been getting steadily better," David Zuby, IIHS' executive vice president, says in a statement. "These latest death rates provide new confirmation that real-world outcomes are improving, too."

The nine models are the Audi A4 four-wheel-drive luxury car; Honda Odyssey minivan; Kia Sorento SUV; Lexus RX 350 four-wheel-drive luxury SUV; Mercedes-Benz GL-Class four-wheel drive luxury SUV; Subaru Legacy four-wheel-drive midsize car; Toyota Highlander hybrid four-wheel-drive SUV; Toyota Sequoia four-wheel-drive SUV; and Volvo XC90 four-wheel-drive luxury SUV.

The latest study shows a wide disparity from the best vehicles to the worst, including three models that had driver death rates greater than 100 per 1 million registered vehicles. The study looks at driver deaths from 2009 to 2012, focusing on vehicles from the 2011 model year but including results as far back as the 2009 model year, depending on when the vehicle was redesigned.

The results were adjusted for driver age and gender.

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